Wednesday, January 23, 2008

In the January 19 edition of MSNBC's Tim Russert Show, Russert asked New York Times columnist Gail Collins:

RUSSERT: Is it ironic that this self-avowed feminist went to New Hampshire, showed some emotion, and that seemed to be a real help to her with women voters?

Translation:

The minute someone who calls themselves a feminist does something "unfeminist" (in the words of Patty Noonan on Meet the Press) and it gets her votes. Does that mean feminists don't have any voting power?

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The assumption that showing emotion is "unfeminist" is required for this situation to be considered irony. Let me just say for the billionth time: feminism is the belief that women should have the same rights and privileges men do. Showing emotion mixes with that just fine.